Friends until the bitter end: Reanimation

There was only a few hours before dark as the S-CELL ships began to land.

"MOVE,MOVE,MOVE!"

"Rights Clear!"

"Clear LEFT"

"CLEAT FRONT!"

"Battalion MOVE OUT!"

"Good GET THAT ARMOR MOVING!"

the S-CELL company began moving into the town as the armor began to move as well. The S-CELL troops advanced for 30 mins and hadn't seen anything.

"Looks like the Blackwatch team put up a good fight." the leader of the S-CELL company said.

"You can say that again. they took out our whole advanced team."

"those guys were expendable anyway. Fire teams report."

"Saphron sector clear, Emerald sector clear, jade sector clear, crimson sector clear." the other S-CELL teams reported from around the town.

"Hazel what is your status?"

"This is Cal we have spotted something and are moving to investigate." The leader of Hazel section said.

cra-cra-cra-rcr-arc-rak

"Hazel report!"

"WE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED!...MOVE THE TANK UP!" Hazel leader reported before ordering someone on his line.

BOOOOM!

"MACKELROY GET THAT AST WORK-uugh." From inside the command APC the LT colonel of the S-CELL troops watched LT Makelroy the leader of Hazel section flat line.

"SIR! Blackwatch RECON DRONES!" the comms officer yelled.

"Perfect. Bring in our sections. and prepare to move on there location." He ordered

"Sir Priority one call from Command."

"Patch it threw." the LT colonel ordered

the Comms officer complied and the holopad in the APC flared to life and there standing in the red hologram was the image of Dark Sword.

"Report."

"Blackwatch has fallen into the trap sir."

"Typical. Ever since they lost there leader they have become to predictable, not to mention demoralized. You are to continue the operation and advance on the desert. We will find their stronghold and destroy it. Once they have there forces prepared i want you to deploy our special gift for our Blackwatch compatriots."

"With plesure sir." The LT colonel responded.

"Cary on Lt colonel Thorn." Dark sword said

"Yes sir, the loyalists will fall." Thorn responded with a salute before the connection cut off. the Lt colonel then turned around clasping his hands behind his back as he did so, he then studied the tactical map waiting for the perfect time to strike.

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Starnes had taken Lead of Blackwatch since Lamars disappearance and had since been forced to begin conscripting many of the Refuges from the Canterlot pull out. In those three months he had been able to train a fresh batch of Blackwatch troopers. Now sitting across form him in the hold of a Rayzorback drop ship on the way to Bright Side, were Princess Celestia now dressed in her newly requisitioned armor that resembled a mix of her old armor but with blackwatch padding and Kevlar. Her sister sat acros from her dressed in eventually the same armor but while celestias armor was mainly white and gold with her rapier at her side. Lunas new armor was more reminiscent of its Blackwatch origins consisting of deep Blues and blacks.

Beside them were Nymph and three prospects for zulu team. Nymph in the three months had really stepped into her role as a Changeling princess and liaison  to blackwatch. She had never relay gotten over her late husbands supposed death and to most she hid it well but to the ones who knew her it was obvious. She now had a distant look in her eyes and they would be woken up from her screaming in the knight from her nightmares. The changeling princess now wore very form fitting organic looking changeling amor with pink highlights over the skin tight under suit of the Redline armor.

And the reason there was a prospect for Zulu team is because In a skirmish with S-CELL Lewis was seriously wounded and was forced to resign himself to training New Nano-suit soldiers, and Cass's wounds had been too serious and she like Lewis had been forced to teach other medics. So now Zuluteam was down to only Starnes until Lamar could be found.

Siting next to Nymph and the Prospect was the Redline commando Dawn and her new partner who's call-sign was Fury. The two Redlines would have made talent additions to team but Starnes new that the two mares just lacked the flair or flavor to be in Zulu team. And last while not in the rayzorback were Brother paladin Valencio, and Brother Librarian Lachlan. The two mighty Raptoral knights flew in there equally imposing Grey Storm drop ships in perfect formation with the Rayzorback, there cargo five Greyknights each, inside the Grey Storm's the two squads of knights went about there pre battle rituals. While beside them a few of the royal princess's own knights dressed in there enchanted armor prepared there weapons silently.

"sir first images from the Recon drones are coming threw. Looks like Deathwing is giving them hell." a Blackwatch Pilot yelled into the hold.

"Show me." Starnes ordered. The other nine looked up from what they were doing to see.

The image showed two Redline commandos standing on the burning husk of what used to be a tank firing there Magic based weapons at two dying S-CELL troopers before jumping off and flying to cover with there Magpacs. They then watched two EXO equipped S-CELL troopers jump onto their cover while they were reloading. And just as they expected the worst two large brawler like things leaped onto them. One held it down and bit the troopers head off while its head tentacles flailed before throwing the body off camera. The other was much more gracefull but just as deadly as it pinned the CELL trooper and used its six tentacles to tear the body apart before the two's ears shot up and they  leaped out of the cameras view.

"PILOT! Get us down there! Form a defensive ring until every one is landed.!" Starnes yelled over the violent din of combat coming from outside.

"YES S'A!" the pilots south African ascent came from the cockpit.

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Things were getting bad for Lynn and Rayne as there ammunition began to dwindle. Lynn had already been forced to sling his rifle and use his pistols. He ducked back down behind a section of wall to avoid a volley of bullets, while Rayne burst from cover and let lose a torrent of green lasers from his Magi rifle. Three of the shots found there mark and there victims were dead from scorched holes in there chests before they hit the ground. Rayne then rolled to avoid a grenade and came to a crouch behind the same section of rubble as his partner.

"Cover!" Lynn then knelt down holstering his pistols. Rayne immediately leaned around and over his partner and began to fire on the S-CELL troopers to provide covering fire. Lynn extended his right arm and fired the grappling harpoon at a large statue above the squad of S-CELL troopers they were currently fighting. He was elated when the enchanted cable went taught, meaning the harpoon itself had indeed hit its target and had drilled itself into the stone.

"PULL!" He yelled as he stood taking hold of the rope as he disconnected it from his wrist while another harpoon took its place. With out a second thought Rayne ceased his suppression fire stood and grabbed the cable, and with a great PULL Statue came crashing down on the squad killing two and leaving the remaining three disoriented and dazed in a cloud of smoke.

Lynn redrew his pistols snapped in new magazines and the two wordlessly bound around the corner. Flashes of green light spelled doom for one of the dazed S-CELL troopers immediately as a bolt of raw magic blew his head to pieces. The other two were coming around know but not in time to be prepared for a sprinting dropkick from Lynn and a shoulder check from Rayne. The two were sent sprawling to the ground and were immediately and remorselessly gunned down.

'woooosh **BOOM'**

The spun to avoid an incoming rocket the resulting explosion showered them in derbies that was stopped by there armor and there kamas protected there legs from lethal shrapnel. The two looked at one another they might not have been able to see each others faces but from the body language one could tell the other had a plan. But that plan never came to fruition as the entire street the enemy rocket team was blown to pieces from a pare of missiles from over head.

"AAAGH!" the two were so engrossed by the fact that there reinforcements had arrived early for once that they had failed to notice a lone S-CELL trooper charging them with his combat knife drawn. Lynn raised one of his pistols ready to put a round into this idiots eye before a large grey armored form landed on the S-CELL trooper crushing his legs. His screams of pain were quickly silenced as the Grey knight looked down grabbed the troopers back in his massive hand and almost casually tore the poor fuck in two with a single sicking squelching tear. The Knight then raised its arm mounted Vulcan and tore the still twitching upper half to pieces in a single short volly. The knight then nodded to the eight drop ships and they began to land in a rough semicircle formation around the Large clearing. The first to exit there drop ships were two squads of Greyknights there once pristine armor showing singes the results of 4 months of intense battle.

After them out of the same Grey Storm dropships were two squads each of Lunar and Celestial knights. These mares while slow to grasp the combat mannerisms of quote on quote modern warfare at first. Could on now be passed off as competent to some third world country, but were not quite up to Blackwatch standards.

Then two groups to disembark were four teams of blackwatch troopers equipped with EXO's AST's and one Jacket Team. Lynn and Rayne shook there heads solemnly these were shinnies, noobs three of these teams had probably just graduated form the academy and more than likely never even seen combat outside of the scenarios at BlackMasa. The other team though were veterans Rayne and Lynn could remember them from the formation of blackwatch, they had talked about a year ago and apparently had all fought on earth in the back in the CEPH wars this was Echo squad, there jacket team had been at the battle of canterlot.

The Last two to disembark were, first from a jet black rayzerback was a whole team of twelve Redline Commandos. There armor like Lynn and Rayne's own armor was the same in design but differed based on the user thus giving the Commando team an all around ragtag look. There weaponry however spoke voleumes and these commandos like all commandos weren't to be taken lightly.

"Are you two alright?" One of the Commandos called out this one had a red cros on his chest piece.

"Ya were fine. just need ammo man." Lynn responded

"We thought you might." the Leader of the Redline team said before throwing a duffle bags on the ground before them. The last to exit were the leaders Starnes and the temps for Zulu team, Luna, Celestia, and Nymph. Finally the Remaining two V-TOLS Gunships lowered themselves there cargo swaying as they did so, and once said cargo was inches from the ground they cut the cables dropping them unceremoniously to the ground. The two Rooks main battle tanks slammed down with a loud crash.

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"Sir the enemy has prepared them selves just like General Dark sword said." the comms officer said

"Typical. are all sections in position?"

"Yes sir."

"And those tanks?"

"one is moving out to scout the way now." Thorn moved one hand our from behind his back to stroke one of the protrusions coming from his helmet as he thought to himself.

"Beta team destroy that tank, and those gunships on my mark. Wardens prepare to move!" Thorn ordered.

"HO!" came the guttural response from the cabin of the command APC.

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On the outside the First Rooks began moving out to scout the way as the cacophony of soldiers and Royals set up a defensive position. Celestia was about to order her knights before the two gunships circling around were smacked streaks of brilliant blue white. The first Gunship hit was destroyed instantly prompting celestia to raise a shield to defend the large group from the falling wreckage. The second gunship had somewhat managed to dodge the blast but its right wing had been struck causing it to spiral out of control and slam into the scouting tank just in time for the group to watch a rocket strike the armored vehicle. The two machines of war went up in a massive fire ball that forced Luna to add her own magic to reinforce the shield her sister had already raised to reinforce it. A pair of Redlines who had been tasked as the tanks escort dove to the forward to avoid the explosion.

Inside the shield the group took up positions and set up fields of fire on the only way the enemy could advance down the main street of the town. There flanks covered by the Horseshoe formation of now Grounded V-TOL Dropships.

"Stedy!" Starnes yelled as he rested his Sniper rifle on the crux of a piece of rubble. The air around him buzzed with dread and he heard the mechanical whine of there now only Rooks main battle tank swivel its turret. The air was silent aside from the silent clicks of helmet comms as the company of equestrian defenders redied themselves. But what happened next none of them were ready for, with an earth shattering boom the burning hulk of what used to be a main battle tank exploded from the inside. It was then that they heard the screams of one of the redline commandos who had been up there.

The source of her screams were given light as in the early glow of the smoke a large figure thrust down with something silencing the screams. The figure was shrouded in smoke so they weren't able to see it clearly not even those like starnes who had special optics could pierce the oily black smoke. What they then saw shocked them all to their very bones as the massive visibly moved to face them as a pare of ghostly green eyes flashed to life in the smoke.

The smoke began to warp and bend around a figure as more eyes flashed to behind the first. The first thing to emerge from the smoke was a boot but not any boot a large boot a large armored boot belonging to an equally large body that followed behind and a helmet with those glowing eyes that they all knew so much. But the eyes they knew didn't glow green they glowed blue and the helmet didn't resemble the angular design instead its front had two thick short tusks resembling an elephant. Its armor wasn't Grey ether instead it was a deep bone white and silver with large hexagons embedded in it. The thing held in its large hand a Redline commando no doubt the mare who had been killed's partner. The stallion was struggling, grabbing and kicking at the hand that clutched is head. The thing held the stallion up for them to see before speaking in a deep guttural voice.

"Loyalist SCUM." the voice began speeking to them all.

"Your capital has fallen, and your cities Burn. Your people are dying, your armys are unorganized and demoralized as they fight under the command of a Mercenary. Your Blackwatch continues to loose ground to the unyielding power of Sickle CELL. While we the chosen continue to grow stronger. Your leader your, Prince lies Dead at the bottom of a gorge. While our master sits in the Solar princesses thrown as the most powerful being on the planet. Under him all are equal and males have taken our rightful place in society. This is your only chance, surrender now and find mercy at the hands of Lord Dark swords finest, the ones Raptor abandoned at canterlot..." The behemoth bellows.

"How dare you Traitor! You took an oath to defend the Prince until your death! Now you break that oath and attack your own soil. We of Lord Raptors Finest the Grey Knights will never surrender to your Filth." Brother paladin Valencio bellowed voicing the opinions of the assembled defenders. And almost to hammer his point home the commando reached down drew his pistol and fired a round point blank into the head of the monster

"Then you will die. At the hands of The Forsaken Knights, We The Wardens and I Lt Colonel Thorn shall be our end." the Warden said as he closed his hand crushing the Commandos head casualty. He dropped the decapitated corpse and drew his Orion Close combat weapon. As he raised it high into the air, the Grey knight dog Lachlan Bellowed for him to feal the power of chaos as a blueish purple lightning bolt streaked towards him. Only to be meet half way by a bolt of red lightning from behind him. The Defenders watched a warden dressed in armor similar to Lachlan step out from the smoke and bellow for the librarian to fear the power of the Ceph hive mind.

"WE ARE VENGEANCE INCARNATE! FOR LORD DARK SWORD!" A group of nine Orion super soldiers dressed in similar armor to there leader charged forward out of the smoke to kill these fools who wouldn't accept the truth.

"WE ARE ORDER ARE MANIFEST! FOR PRINCE RAPTOR!" Nine Grey knights charged forward from the moderate cover and towards the ten Wardens while ones eyes glowed and he simply walked toward them. These traitors would die for breaking there oath to the prince.

As the two groups of titans neared each other normal S-CELL troops began firing on the Defenders prompting them to being firing back. As the first Knights and Wardens engaged each other, and the sun finally fell and darkness took them all the second major battle for equestrias future had begun.